Button-attaching machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet` 1. W. G. SLATER. BUTTON ATTAGHING MACHINE.

Patented June 18, 1889.

- .4 4- LLK/,Mrkm -Evrlvvflr 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W G SLATER BUTTON ATTAGHING MACHINE.

PatentedJune 18,1889.

Je ESSE wir E@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVARREN G. SLATER, AOF FREMONT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE PENIN- SULARNOVELTY COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON-ATTACHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 405,328, dated June18, 1889.

Application filed August 25, 1886. Serial No. 211,871. (No model.)

v full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specilication.

Figure l is a front elevation of my improved button-attaching machine, asection being taken through the anvil to show the two prong-clinchingdepressions in its surface. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the righthandside of the machine, the clinching and button-carrying jaws beingrepresented fully raised. Fig. 3 is also a side view. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal sectional view taken on line x 0c, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the feed tube or spout, and Figs. 6 and 7 areperspective views of the two halves of the removable button-guidedetached from one an other.

This invention relates to certain novel im provements on machines forfastening buttons to shoes, clothing, and other articles, whichimprovements will be fully understood from the following description,when taken in connection with the annexed drawings.

In the annexed drawings, A designates a tubular pedestal or the mainframe of my improved machine, which is cast entire with a flanged baseA', an anvil-extension A2, having concavities a a in its upperhorizontal surface, and guide-extensions A3 A3, which are verticallyslotted to receive the shanks B B' of two gripping-jaws C C. j

Inside of the pedestal A is a vertically-movable plunger-rod D, theupper end of which is curved forward and has suitably pivoted to it theupper end of the shank B of one of the gripping-jaws C. This upperportion of the plunger-rod D is provided with. a stopshoulder b, whichcontacts with the upper end of the pedestal A when the plunger-rod withits jaws is at the terminus of its downstroke.

Surrounding the lower part of the plungerrod is a coiled spring E, whichbears down upon a collar c, that rests upon the upper end of a tubular(gaspipe) standard F, screwed into the lower end of the pedestal A,(shown in Fig. 2,) through which standard a rod is designed to pass thatconnects the lower end of the plungerr0d to a treadle. By depress* ingthis treadle the plunger-rod with its jaws will be forced down forclinching the buttonfasteners on the anvil A2, and by releasing thetreadle the spring E will throw up the plunger-rod and its jaws. Theshanks of the jaws C C are vertically movable in the slots of theguide-extensions A3 A3, in which slots the said shanks are held by capsd d, confined by screws e e.

The jaw-shank B is pivoted to the curved overhanging end of theplunger-rod D, as above stated, but the shank B is loosely attached by alug and slot at f to the jaw-shank B, and the upper end of this shankaffords an abutment f' for the upper end of the shank B', as clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the annexed drawings.

The two jaws C C are caused to spring apart during their ascendingstrokes by means of a spring g, arranged between the shanks B B', andduring the descending strokes the said jaws are caused to approach eachother by means of the inclined bearing on the edge of one of said shanksacting against the end of the lower guide slot, thereby lirmly grippingand holding the buttons and their fasteners during the clinching of thelatter upon the anvil A2.

The gripping ends of the jaws C C (shown in Fig. 3) are rabbeted andespecially adapted to receive the eye of a button and the archedattaching portion of afastener. On the righthand side of each jaw C isan odset h, for a purpose which I will presently explain.

G designates a curved rigid arm, which is free to slide up and down bymeans of guides To the lower part of this curved arm I rigidly secureremovable button-guides I-I, which are curved, as shown in Figs. l, 6,and 7, and preferably made of two longitudinal parts IOO ' raisedposition shown in Fig. 1.

with a narrow space between them for receiving the eyes of the buttonsand properly guiding the buttons, with their fasteners attached, fromthe feed-tube or magazine J, and delivering them one at a time betweenthe gripping-jaws C C, when these jaws are in the The curved guides Hare inclined at such an angle that the buttons with their fasteners willslide down and be delivered to the jaws C C by their own gravity. Thelower ends of these guides H are constructed with lipped extensions c,which lie in the path of the offsets 7L, so that the guides H with theirarm are lifted a short distance by their offsets during the ascendingstrokes of the jaws C. The arm G, with its curved guides H and magazineJ, is caused to rise by the offsets h striking the lipped extensions it'during the upper part of the ascending stroke of the jaws C C, and thesaid arm is allowed to descend byits own gravity during the descent ofthese jaws. Bythese meansA the guides and magazine are jarred and thebuttons caused to descend to the Vspring-stop fy. (Shownin Fig. '7.)During the descent of the jaws C C the upper curved end of the dog K `isstruck by contact with the upper end of the slot 7cX through the shanksB B 0f said jaws and moved tothe position indicated on Fig. l by dottedlines, in which position the pusher p on the lower arm of the do'g K isadj usted behind a button temporarily held back by the curved end of thespring y. During the ascent of the jaws C C land arm G the pusher of dogK is caused to release a button from the said. spring y and leave it ina proper position between the jaws LC C to be gripped thereby. It willbe observed that the free end of the spring y passes freely through ahole made through one of the guides H, and is curved downward, so as toyield and allow the pusher p to take the buttons one at a time.

The upper ends of the guides H are provided with extensions adapted toreceive the sheathed end l of the feed-tube or magazine J and to holdthe same in an inclined position, which tube is rectangular incross-section and constructed with a longitudinal channel through itsupper wall adapted to receive the necks of the but-tons with fasteningsattached and to guide the same properly to the slot or channel of thecurved guides H. The tube J is removable from the curved guides, and,like these guides, it receives the buttons on top of it. Consequently Iam able to use large or small buttons and feed various sizes with equalfacility to the gripping-jaws' C C.

In combination with the above mechanism I employ a pivoted feeding-dogfor positively delivering the buttons with their fasteners attached, oneat a time, to the gripping-jaws C C.

K designates my improved feeding-dog, which is pivoted at 1t to theright-hand side of the vlower guide extension A? and constructed with acurved extension j) on its upper end, which passes through a slot in thejaw-shanks. On the lower curved portion of this dog K is a broad.tapered button-pusher p', which is designed to separate the last buttonfrom the row between the guides H and move it between the jaws C C inproper position.

The operation of themachine is as follows: The tube J is charged withbuttons having fasteners attached to them and secured to the curvedguides H. The buttons will by their own gravity iill these guides and bearrested by the springg/on the guides H. Vhen the treadle is released,the spring E will throw up the jaws C C to the position shown in Fig. l,carrying with them the guides H H, their tube J, and curved arm G. Asthis movement takes place, the slot in the shanks operates upon theupper end of the 'dog K and causes its lower end to separate one buttonfrom the row and properly deliver it to the jaws C C. is to be attachedis adjusted upon the anvil beneath the said jaws and the latter forciblybrought down, carrying with them the button and its fastener and firmlyclinching the spurs of the latter in the said material. The saineoperation is repeated.

Having described my invention, l claim- 1. In a button-faste'nin gmachine, the combi` nation, with the hollow pedestal provided with ananvil and guide-extensions, of the spring-actuated plunger-'rod having acurved and shouldered upper extension, the two jawshanks bearing jaws CC and adapted to be opened and closed, as described,the jawshank B,pivoted to the said upper extension of the plunger-rod, and thejaw-shank B', attached to shank B by a lug and slot, both shanks beingguided, substantially as described, andthe vibrating dog having a pusherp', as specied.

2. The combination, with the anvil and its frame, of the gripping-jaws,vertically movable, the curved guides arranged in the relation shown tosaid jaws, and the verticallymovable arm to which said guides aresecured, and the curved dog K, provided with a button-pusher,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the verticallymovable gripping-jaws havinglifting-offsets on their sides, of the curved guides H, having lippedextensions on t-heir lower ends and applied to a vertically-movable arm,and the curved dog K, provided with a pusher and actuated substantiallyas described.

Il. The combination, with the verticallymovable spring-actuatedgripping-jaws, of the vertically-movable ar'm G, the .guides securedrigidly to this arm, the tube or magazine removably attached to it, andthe vibrating dog K, provided with a stantially as described.

5. The curved guides H, formed of two longitudinal parts rigidly securedto the Vvertically-movable arm G, in combination with thevertically-movable jaws, a vibrating dog pusher p', subi The material towhich the button IOO IIO

provided with a pusher, and a clinching-anvil, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination of the vibrating` button-placing dog` with thevertically-movable grippingjaws, slotted as described, and Jthevertically-movable button-guide curved and inclined, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination of the gripping-jaws provided with the slot, asshown,with abuttonplacing dog formed, as described, an inclined curvedand vertically-movable guide H, and a clinching-anvil, substantiallyasdescribed.

S. The button-machine herein described, consisting of a tubularpedestal, a spring-actuated plunger-rod having depending from

